More than 20 species have been successfully cloned, and there is now talk in some conservation circles of a veritable Jurassic Park-effect becoming essential, as the rate of species extinctions exceeds anything biologists even a generation ago could have imagined.

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The WWF said poaching and trafficking of body parts was having a devastating effect on the wild populations of some species, setting back decades long conservation efforts.

BBC: Google cash buys drones to watch endangered species

"In terms of energy efficiency and conservation, just installing a smart meter isn't going to have much effect, " says Greg Guthridge, a smart-grid consultant with Accenture.

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